City of Glass
Overview The City of Glass is a city located to the far south of Cascadia Prime, and is the setting of Mirror's Edge: Exordium and Mirror's Edge Catalyst. Though located to the far south of Cascadia Prime, the coastal city of Glass is the exact opposite of the sleepy fishing town many Cascadians believe it to be. As one of two development hubs for Silvine Systems, Glass stands at the forefront of the digitized revolution sweeping through our nation. And as the third biggest city in Cascadia, Glass holds its own in terms of entertainment and shopping. The annual Ocean View Regatta attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors, and many end up sending in relocation requests to their HR departments after having enjoyed the vast beaches and refreshing coastal climate. And for the lucky few who get to visit Sky City there is really no going back. But the Regatta is not the only reason to come Glass. With its mix of peculiar SSSC influences, relaxed beach-resort attitude and highly educated and discerning citizenry, Glass remains an attractive location all year round. The night-life is vibrant, the restaurants specialize in exotic sea-food and the shopping is on par with what one can find in Cascadia Prime. Last but not least Glass stands as a model city for the ongoing reconstruction effort launched in FY36. CC Corp has been instrumental in refurbishing the entire city into the pristine pinnacle of reflective beauty which greets all citizens every morning. Once you've witnessed a sunrise splinter into a cascade of light in the Crystal Gardens District or seen the myriad of avant-garde buildings in “The Anchor” glitter like polished gems you’ll never quite be the same again. History The foundations of what we today know as Glass were laid centuries ago. For hundreds of years it remained a small seaside village, focused on fishing and boat building, but as the tech-reformation was ushered in, Glass began to attract small software developers looking for cheap living in a great location away from the overcrowded megacities of the day. The village grew into a town which then blossomed into a small city, but due to the many shortcomings of the governmental system back then crime soon ran rampant, and as the country moved on into the Years of Unrest and the Agglomerate Wars the population suffered badly. The lost years of OmniStat rule didn’t help the situation. The city came to be known only as SE-31 in reference to its south-eastern location, all development ground to a halt and it wasn’t until after the Kruger Uprising that the region began to grow again, with the promise of free enterprise attracting a slew of ambitious citizens looking for a fresh start. And as our proud Nation of Cascadia was formed in FY00 Glass was one of the many cities renamed in honor of the great times ahead. But it wouldn’t be until after the pivotal terror event of FY34 that the city truly began to live up to its new name. The Conglomerate Board decided to do its utmost to eradicate and heal the terrible trauma of those chaotic weeks, and CC Corp was given the full mandate to refurbish and reconstruct the city in order to turn it into a true paragon of our nation. The Chairman of those days, Horton Bryson, proudly declared that Glass would be made into “The Gem of the South”, and according to popular legend the ambitious reconstruction plans were met with a standing ovation by the Board. Today we can see that Horton Bryson’s prediction was completely accurate, and if you ask any resident of Glass they will proudly declare that there is no other city as beautiful within Cascadia, or even the world. Propaganda Though located to the far south of Cascadia Prime, the coastal city of Glass is the exact opposite of the sleepy fishing town many Cascadians believe it to be. As one of two development hubs for Silvine Systems, Glass stands at the forefront of the digitized revolution sweeping through our nation. And as the third biggest city in Cascadia, Glass holds its own in terms of entertainment and shopping. The annual Ocean View Regatta attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors, and many end up sending in relocation requests to their HR departments after having enjoyed the vast beaches and refreshing coastal climate. And for the lucky few who get to visit Sky City there is really no going back. But the Regatta is not the only reason to come Glass. With its mix of peculiar SSSC influences, relaxed beach-resort attitude and highly educated and discerning citizenry, Glass remains an attractive location all year round. The night-life is vibrant, the restaurants specialize in exotic sea-food and the shopping is on par with what one can find in Cascadia Prime. Last but not least Glass stands as a model city for the ongoing reconstruction effort launched in FY36. CC Corp has been instrumental in refurbishing the entire city into the pristine pinnacle of reflective beauty which greets all citizens every morning. Once you’ve witnessed a sunrise splinter into a cascade of light in the Crystal Gardens District or seen the myriad of avant-garde buildings in “The Anchor” glitter like polished gems you’ll never quite be the same again. The Conglomerate Board condones and encourages travel across our great nation. But make sure that you have obtained permission from your HR-manager before going on an extended leave (i.e. more than 12 hours) in order to avoid gridLink admittance issues. Unauthorized travel is grounds for contract termination. document has been screened and approved in accordance with Conglomerate Publication Directive #3958-3 – FY20:M09 Government The City of Glass is controlled by the Conglomerate, a syndicate of 13 nation wide Corporate Houses. On the busy streets of Glass, the corporations of the ruthless Conglomerate rule supreme. Their billboards are seen on almost every building and they serve to fuel the desire and aspirations of the regular citizens, while also adding to the glossy face of the Conglomerate exterior. Behind that exterior lurks a repressive and authoritarian regime, where a perfect mix of fear and envy has turned its citizens into willing participants of their own enslavement. For 14 years the Conglomerate has ruled supreme in Cascadia, and in practice they were already in power for two decades prior to that. The Corporate Houses have entrenched themselves firmly since the founding and most mid- and loCaste believe the current system to be the best one imaginable. Few want a return to the horrors of the OmniStat era. Conglomerate Policy dictates the dos and don'ts applying to everyone living in Cascadia. It describes the code of conduct, safety rules and other regulations affecting an employs life. It is enforced by KrugerSec and Policy-breakers are sentenced without trials. Punishment range from temporary suspension of selected rights to contract termination, which essentially is the same as being demoted at least one caste. Serious offenders are made permanent outCaste and most end up doing forced labor in the Greylands. Some disappear. General surveillance is mainly handled by automated camera systems where advanced algorithms constantly scan for deviant behaviour, and this is combined with the gridLink – a wristband biometrically connected to the wearer and linked to his personal gridPrint and financial status. The gridLink is the employ identity made manifest both physically and digitally and Link-loss can be considered grounds for contract termination, if not caused by accident or victimized crime. OutCaste and offGrids have no gridLinks. Beat and Grid Managed by Allcom, The Grid is the main data network and primary form of communication and entertainment in Cascadia. It's predominantly accessed wirelessly but there are Commercial/Industrial hardwired connections as well. The Grid is managed and generated by large gridNode structures found in all city districts. These contain massive traffic routers, data backup servers, and powerful wireless transceivers that co-ordinate the Grid into a single entity. All traffic on The Grid is observed and tracked by the Conglomerate. Used by Faith and the runners, The Beat is a software that "piggybacks" onto The Grid. Users interact with The Beat using integrated hardware like earpieces and glasses or in Faith's case, her glove and cutting edge contact lens. It provides navigational aids as well as encrypted communication channels and job databases which the Conglomerate has yet to gain access to. Population According to the FY47 census, Glass boasts close to 14,000,000 citizens, making it the third largest city in Cascadia. Prospective visitors should read up on what the central districts have to offer in terms of sights and entertainment. There are some individuals in Glass who have chosen to live off the Grid. The offGrids are often called "leeches" in reference to them living like parasites off of the hardworking employs. Anchor The Anchor district is one of the most affluent areas in Glass, its many tall buildings standing as proud heralds of the powerful corporations based here. Full of the city’s most popular nightclubs, young citizens make frequent visits to “The Anchor” for nightlife and shopping. One spectacular construction project within Anchor is the gigantic Bauble Mall. When finished, the Bauble will be the most opulent shopping center in Cascadia, a true monument to the success of the Conglomerate way of life. Downtown Located in the very center of Glass, Downtown stands as the proud modernized center of the city. Among the busy and dense streets you’ll find a slew of fashionable boutiques and notable sights like the Elysium Corporation building, home to the world’s leading medical research professionals. There have been reports of illegal activities in this area; with so called “Runners” roaming the rooftops. Citizens should not be alarmed however; the nuisance is being effectively dealt with by KrugerSec personnel. Ocean Glass View A prosperous residential area dedicated to “upwardly mobile” citizens, Ocean Glass View, or “The View”, is by many considered to be the final step before getting invited to Sky City. If you’re looking to get away from the intensity of Downtown or The Anchor, The View is well worth a visit. Here you can walk along the seaside promenade, picnic, and perhaps visit The Marina. On free days it’s not uncommon to see families enjoying the beach while their children play in the surf. All recreational water activities are restricted to the dedicated recreational zones, pending vehicle and employment status. Please refer to Conglomerate Recreational Policy: Glass for further information. Conglomerate *Anansi Group *Bryson Industries *Callaghan Construction Corp *Elysium Corp *Everdyne Energy *Kruger Holding **Kruger Security **Mining **Weapons manufacture *Maya Media Group *Silvine Security Systems Businesses *Allcom *Aposa *Cascadia Logistics *Pirandello Group Districts *Anchor **Crystal Valley **Eden Village **Shimmering Heights *Anthom *Downtown **Centurian Yards **Charter Hills **Concord Plaza **Triumvirate Drive **Zephyr Transit Hub *Crystal Gardens District *Greyland *Ocean Glass View **Marina **Ocean Pier **Regatta Bay *Rezoning **Development Zone Buildings *Anansi Emporium *Bauble Mall *Elysium Building *Kruger Building *Silvine Systems Building *The Shard Trivia *Cascadia is a bioregion and proposed country located within the western region of North America. The country would consist of Washington, Oregon, portions of other U.S. states, and British Columbia, Canada. At its maximum extent, Cascadia would extend from coastal Southeast Alaska in the north, extending into Northern California in the south, and inland to include parts of Idaho, Western Montana, Wyoming, and Yukon. More conservative borders proposed, is the land west of the eastern side of the Cascade Range, and the western side of British Columbia. Gallery City Of Glass Night.jpg|City at night Mirrors-edge-vista.jpg| Mirrors-edge-downtown.jpg| Mirrors-edge-vista.jpg| widecity 6.png|Wide view of the City of Glass. rendition1.img (7).jpg| External Links *http://www.mirrorsedge.com/characters *http://www.mirrorsedge.com/intel/cascadia *http://www.mirrorsedge.com/intel/cascadia/cascadia-and-the-cities *http://www.mirrorsedge.com/intel/cascadia/cascadians-and-the-castes *http://www.mirrorsedge.com/intel/cascadia/the-beat-and-the-grid *http://www.mirrorsedge.com/intel/factions-citizens/offgrids *http://www.mirrorsedge.com/intel/glass/city-districts *http://www.mirrorsedge.com/intel/the-conglomerate/the-conglomerate *http://www.mirrorsedge.com/intel/the-conglomerate/the-corporations *http://www.mirrorsedge.com/map *http://www.mirrorsedge.com/news/a-visitors-introduction-to-the-city-of-glass *http://www.mirrorsedge.com/news/the-corporations-of-mirrors-edge-catalyst *http://www.mirrorsedge.com/news/the-enemy-types-of-mirrors-edge-catalyst *http://www.mirrorsedge.com/news/the-history-of-cascadia *http://www.mirrorsedge.com/story Category:Location